


Hiding The Damage

by amessoffand0ms



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Post-library River
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 12:39:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11646744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amessoffand0ms/pseuds/amessoffand0ms
Summary: River's been saved from the Library, but she's not sure it's going to be happily ever after.





	Hiding The Damage

River has been saved from the Library, but hadn't really talked to her husband. Of course, there'd been sex, there'd be whispered "I love yous" and passionate kisses.

But, despite everything, she was still scared. Scared of living with him indefinitely, scared of him seeing her age. Scared of letting him in.

She was curled up in bed, he'd risen with the larks a while ago.

Tears fell onto her pillow and curls, she was sobbing silently, terrified of him hearing. Of course, she knew that she couldn't hide from him forever. She'd get up in a while, put makeup on along with her signature smile, and waltz into the console room and run with him on yet another adventure.

She felt too old for running, she hankered for a quiter life, but she knew that her husband wouldn't have that. He had a new companion, Clara- a pretty young thing, not like her at all.

The Doctor's call pulled her from her thoughts. "River, where are you? I just found a fantastic planet full of elephants, they're your favourite animals right?"

"Sod off." River muttered.

Her husband stopped short when he entered the room, he saw how wet her pillow was. "You've been crying."

"Please Doctor, just go away. Go be with Clara, have an adventure. You don't deserve to see me like this."

"I'm your husband." He offered, sitting next to her, she rolled away from him, hiding her face. "I love you, and something is wrong."

Tentatively, he put a hand on her shoulder, and made circles on her skin with his thumb, trying to soothe her.

She relaxed under his touch, and turned to him. "I love you too."

"River, let me in. Please."

She sighed, and sat up. "I'm afraid. Of this, us. I've never been with you on a regular basis, not really. You're going to have to put up with everything... Like when I'm grumpy. when I'm miserable. Warts and all."

The Doctor smiled and her, and pulled her close. "River, you're only human. Well, sort of. It's okay to have down days, to be sad sometimes. You can't be happy all the time, and I don't expect you to. You're not a perfect person, no one is. We've all got our little quirks, I'm sure that there's things about me that you don't like. The point is, I love you despite everything, because that what love is. Putting someone else before yourself, and loving them despite their flaws, which you have always done when it comes to me and I when it comes to you."

"You really think so?" She sniffled.

"Yes, River. You're beautiful just as you are, flaws and all."

"Ditto you." His wife replied, smiling at him. "Doctor..?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Before the Library, I had this silly fantasy that we could become parents. I mean, I don't know if we'd..." She trailed off nervously.

"Yes?" He asked, taking her hands in his.

"Start a family. I've wanted to be a mother for a while, but with our timelines before I thought that it wouldn't be possible."

"And now it is." He finished for her. "I'd love that, River."

"Me too." River said, and kissed him.

The Doctor felt the tension pour out of the pair of them-River always needed to be the strong for him, but as it turned out she also needed him to be strong for her.

_"It's called marriage, honey."_


End file.
